Dissertation
LEVERAGING AI CHATBOTS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR WORKFORCE SUCCESS
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
2026
Abstract
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to experience low employment rates, partly due to limited workplace readiness skills such as digital literacy. As workplaces increasingly rely on digital collaboration technologies, students with IDD must learn to independently navigate workplace platforms. Inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs provide opportunities to support these skills; however, effective instructional supports remain limited. This study examined the effects of a customized ChatGPT-based instructional support system, the Microsoft Teams Guide (MSTG), on Microsoft Teams skill acquisition among students with IDD enrolled in an IPSE program. A multiple-probe design across participants was used to evaluate the impact of MSTG on participants’ ability to complete task-analysis steps associated with common Microsoft Teams tasks. The independent variable was access to MSTG as a structured instructional support delivered through a chatbot interface, and the dependent variable was the percentage of task-analysis steps completed correctly and independently per session. Findings contribute to understanding how AI-mediated instructional supports may promote digital literacy and workplace readiness for students with IDD.
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Details
- Title
- LEVERAGING AI CHATBOTS TO EMPOWER STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR WORKFORCE SUCCESS
- Creators
- Yu Xue
- Contributors
- Marcus Poppen (Advisor)Holly Whittenburg (Committee Member)Don McMahon (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Teaching and Learning
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 168
- Identifiers
- 99901394004601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation